Revenge of Shuyin
by Quatermass
Summary: ("Cycle of Sin" sequel) Two years after Sin was vanquished, Harry and Rikku, along with Paine, Tidus, and Yuna try to track down more information about Shuyin and Vegnagun. But soon, they will find themselves caught up in Shuyin's vengeance, a vengeance that will destroy all of Spira, unless the Gullwings stop him first...
1. Foreword

**FOREWORD**

I knew I was going to do a sequel to _Cycle of Sin_ sooner or later. The story, while not in my top ten of stories written, still has something of a following, and I enjoyed writing it. But all good things must come to an end, and I ended the fic, but not without laying the ground work for a sequel. And here it is. What else can I say?

Well, except: time for the disclaimers. Firstly, there will be spoilers for _Final Fantasy X-2_ and Harry Potter.

Secondly, I will be doing annotations, as is usual for my works. This is your only warning.

Thirdly, this will be an M-rated work, for language and violence, and some sexual references.

Finally, the following is a fan-written work. Harry Potter and _Final Fantasy X-2_ are the property of their respective owners. Please support the official release. Otherwise, you'll be forced to wear the Songstress Dressphere…and dance along to the Hedgehog Song.


	2. Chapter 1: To Catch a Thief

**CHAPTER 1:**

 **TO CATCH A THIEF…**

" _YRPHT: In position. It's showtime, people._ "

Harry Potter sighed quietly, before he whispered back into his radio, "Back home, they have a saying: the best laid plans of mice and men oft gang agley. Translation: even the best plans often cock up. And this isn't the best plan, Rikku."

" _I agree_ ," came the dry voice of Paine. " _I'm only going along with this because I want to kick Leblanc's arse._ "

" _Hey, Harry's my husband, Paine, not yours_ ," came the indignant hiss of Harry's wife, Rikku. " _Anyway, we're raining on Leblanc's parade for stealing Yunie's Garment Grid and doing a concert as Yunie._ "

Harry groaned, but he did agree that kicking the arse of Leblanc was appealing. Instead of arguing any further, he asked, "Tidus, Yuna, how're things? Did they stop having you hand out promotional balloons yet?"

" _We're all right, we're getting into position at the docks_ ," the demure voice of Yuna said.

" _Yeah, these costumes are pretty damn hot_ ," Tidus remarked. " _I'm glad the Garment Grid automatically cleans me and the clothes during the transition, but I'm still gonna have a cold shower once we're back on board the_ Celsius."

" _I might join you_ ," Yuna said playfully. Her voice never had any hint of sultriness or lust: she still had that innocent, almost childish way to her attitude. While they weren't yet ready to have kids, and were taking their relationship slowly, it didn't mean that either of them were celibate. In fact, if anything, Yuna had confided to Harry and Rikku that she felt liberated by being on the _Celsius_ as part of the Gullwings, probably away from the awe-filled eyes on Besaid, and had been more willing to sleep with Tidus in more than the most literal sense.

Tidus was certainly happier, though he was generally quite cheerful anyway.

" _Spare me the innuendo_ ," Paine said. " _It's about to begin_."

Harry nodded. He was lingering near the main stage door for the stadium under his Invisibility Cloak. The plan was to use Rikku and Paine to flush Leblanc out of the stadium during the concert, have Harry attempt to capture her, with Tidus and Yuna as back-up. It wasn't a bad plan per se, Harry just knew there were plenty of things that could go wrong, and knowing his luck, it could end up that way.

It was that very luck that had him end up on Spira. While it was bad luck to fall through the Veil and end up on another world entirely, one where a theocratic government dominated, and most technology was banned due to both religious objections and a technophobic genocidal hellbeast called Sin, in a way, it was good luck, once Sin was destroyed for good. Harry had a new start on a new world, as had Sirius Black, who fell through the Veil with him. A few others he knew from Hogwarts had also made the journey to Spira, many of them friends.

They had lost so many, though. Auron, the acerbic warrior, had willingly allowed himself to pass on along with Sin, as had the Aeons, entities of massive magical power that Yuna once commanded. And that was not counting some of the people killed by Sin, or by the more hypocritical sections of Yevon, not least of which was the deranged rogue Maester, Seymour Guado.

And yet, Harry not only got a fresh start, he got a lover. True, they had only started being physically intimate relatively recently, partly because they wanted to be sure of the strength of their bond first, and partly because of their ages, but he was glad he met Rikku. The cheerful Al Bhed girl was one of the first people he met in Spira, and the two became fast friends. Plus, he was lucky he had met her, as most of Spira were wary, if not hateful, of technology, and the Al Bhed used it frequently in defiance of the precepts of Yevon.

There were, for the most part, no such qualms now. While machina weaponry (aside from firearms) was not used, transport and medical technology was becoming more widely used. And the desire for more machina had partially fuelled the rise of the sphere hunters, groups who sought out spheres of Spira's past, particularly the pre-Yevon past. And in this environment, three big factions showed.

The first, Aegis, rose from the ashes of the original Yevon, and for that reason, was frequently nicknamed New Yevon by many wags. Aegis was a more conservative group, not in a bad way for the most part, than the other groups. They discarded the religious trappings of Yevon (and with them, the anti-machina attitudes) in favour of a more spiritual and philosophical bent. They proclaimed themselves to be a force for stability for those who needed it in troubled times, and was headed by Yunalesca, who, being one of the key figures in Yevon, helped give it legitimacy. While the Gullwings could not be said to be strong allies with Aegis, they were at least on good terms with both Yunalesca and her offsider, Baralai, once one of Paine's comrades in the Crimson Squad.

The second, the Youth League, was a more progressive and even aggressive organisation. While not quite enemies against Aegis, their rhetorhic suggested a disdain for them. A number of former Crusaders joined the Youth League, as had Ron and Ginny Weasley when they emigrated from Earth. The Gullwings were on good terms with most of the Youth League, but they were wary of Mevyn Nooj, the leader of the Youth League, if only because Paine had learned that Nooj had shot her comrades in the back. Okay, he was probably possessed by the hateful ghost of a Blitzball player who resembled Tidus, but still, it was something that caused Paine to be wary about dealing with the infamous soldier known colloquially as the Deathseeker.

A more neutral organisation, and one the Gullwings had far closer ties to, was the Machine Faction, founded by Rikku's old boyfriend Gippal. The two had remained friends, and indeed, Harry was on good terms with the eyepatch-wearing Al Bhed, despite having married his ex. In fact, Gippal was now in a relationship with Hermione, who had also emigrated to Spira with her parents.

Speaking of emigrants to Spira, he'd have to thank the Weasley Twins. They had helped the Gullwings find out about this concert long before it was announced, as well as Leblanc being the woman who stole Yuna's Garment Grid, and with it, her best Dresspheres. They owned a store in Luca, and they kept their ears to the ground for any interesting rumours for the Gullwings. Harry reckoned he would have to give them a big tip.

On a nearby screen, they were showing the concert. He had to admit, Leblanc was doing a good job of impersonating Yuna with the Garment Grid, and assuming she wasn't lip-syncing, she was a pretty good singer too. Shame she was a thieving bitch, though.

After the song, _Real Emotion_ , Harry watched as Rikku and Paine used a floating barge to get to the stage. Paine looked as she always did, dressed in dark clothing with metal studs, her boyish stern face topped by a quiff of silvery hair, red eyes peering at her foe. Rikku had changed her costume now to something rather skimpy. It was her choice, really, and Harry didn't exactly complain, but it was basically a thong bikini in yellow, with a green skirt over the bikini bottom, and a few other accoutrements. He felt his wife was attracting a bit too much attention, though. Rikku had only really become a bit more exhibitionistic recently. Maybe Cid forbade her from doing so until recently. Then again, Rikku's custom Thief Dressphere was a bit scanty, her other costumes were a bit less so.

He watched as Paine and Rikku fought off a pair of Leblanc's goons, before the fake Yuna left, yelling, " _Sorry, no time for an encore!_ " Then, she threw down a flashbang.

Harry readied himself. Then, Leblanc burst out of a nearby door. Harry yelled, " _Petrificus Totalus!_ ", and sent his quarry crashing to the ground. Putting his Cloak away, he approached the downed Leblanc, and then said, " _Accio_ , Yuna's Garment Grid." The square of stone and crystal was torn away, revealing, in a flare of light, a woman in a rather revealing violet dress with blonde hair and a haughty demeanour. Tattooed above her cleavage was the symbol of the Leblanc Syndicate, a pink heart with two holes at the top.

Pain and Rikku ran out of the exit, and saw that Harry had captured their quarry. "What were you saying about it going wrong?" Rikku asked with a wry smile.

"Don't say anything," Paine said. "You'll be begging for the universe to make it worse."

"Oh believe me, girl, it will."

The voice was unwelcome, nasal and drawling. It was like listening to a cut-price Snape. Harry saw the speaker emerge from nearby, a tall, thin man dressed in frankly ridiculous blue robes, wielding a pair of pistols. Harry recognised him from the descriptions Fred and George gave of Leblanc's associates. "Oh look, it's Stan Laurel," Harry snarked, knowing the actual name of the man, but deciding to have some fun.

"My _name_ is _Logos_ ," sneered the tall thin man.

"Laurel, got it right the first time. Where's Hardy?" Harry snarked back.

"Oh, I am very hardy," boomed a boisterous voice, a rotund man in similar clothes and a massive shield on his back, "but the name's Ormi."

"So does that make her Mae West?" Harry asked, pointing at Leblanc. "Oh wait, did she appear with Laurel and Hardy?"

"Don't ask me," Paine said with a roll of the eyes. She looked at Logos and Ormi, and made the universal gesture for ' _he's crazy_ ' with her finger.

Logos sighed, before he said, "I presume that our boss is still alive. However, you will return the Garment Grid."

"It was stolen by you guys in the first place," Rikku snapped, "while we were in that hotel in Guadosalam."

"Only the most ruthless sphere hunters survive, little girl," Logos sneered. "We won't kill you…but broken bones aren't off the table."

Harry sighed. "You guys…do remember that we kicked Sin's arse? And Seymour Guado? I mean, seriously, take your boss, and, well, see out there?" He indicated outside the stadium, at the streets of Luca, at a pair of mascots waddling in, one a Moogle, the other an Onion Knight. "See all those fucks out there? I give them to you(1)."

"I don't see anything, just a couple of mascots," Ormi said.

"That's because I don't have any fucks to give."

Then, suddenly, Leblanc had surged to her feet, the Body-Bind spell having worn off quicker than Harry would have liked. Then again, maybe she had some sort of accessory that was enchanted to resist such things. "Hmm, tempting, but as much as I'd love to applaud you for getting the drop on me, it's equal odds. Give me the Garment Grid, and I won't beat you within an inch of your life."

Harry sighed, and plucked out the Garment Grid, and weighed it in his hands. Then, he smirked. "YUNA, CATCH!" he yelled, throwing the Garment Grid at the Moogle mascot.

Despite having thick hands that were designed for fumbling caught things, the Moogle caught it, and then, dissolved in a blizzard of multi-coloured light, the Onion Knight soon following suit. Standing there in their place was a young woman with brown hair, and a young man with blonde hair respectively. The former was dressed in a white tube-top, black hotpants, and half a blue skirt, wielding a pair of handguns. The latter was in a red shirt, with a pale yellow coat over it(2), and wielded a sword.

And Harry? Well, he was dressed in a red shirt with a black waistcoat, with a wide-brimmed hat, wielding a gun that had a strange ring-like apparatus in front of the muzzle. A Mage-Gun.

"Oh look, it's five against three," Harry snarked. "Hey, Yuna…you want to show this bitch how you really dance?"

Yuna smiled, before she once more disappeared in a blizzard of light, only to appear in the same outfit as Leblanc had assumed while masquerading as her: short black skirt, purple sleeveless blouse with ruffles, and wielding a microphone like a magic staff. Instantly, she began dancing, just as Leblanc tried to attack, only for Rikku, her intended target, to dodge easily. Leblanc and her minions tried attacking, but Yuna's dance, the Dance of Darkness, interfered with their eyesight. Soon, they tired themselves out, with Harry deciding to finish this. He plucked out a trio of Gil coins, tapped them with the Mage-Gun, and then threw them at Leblanc and her goons, who promptly vanished.

Rikku laughed, and Paine looked at Harry, a wry eyebrow raised. "I know you just turned those coins into Portkeys, which is a waste of good Gil, but where did you send them to?"

"The Moonflow. Just close enough to the shore, I think, so they won't drown. They can then walk back to Guadosalam."

Rikku laughed even louder, before Tidus said, "Umm, Yuna? The show's over, you don't need to dance anymore."

Harry turned to see that Yuna was still dancing. Given the bemused and embarrassed look on her face, though, she wasn't in control of her body. "Didn't Shinra say there may be side-effects to using a Garment Grid?" Paine asked.

"Yeah, but dancing mad wasn't one of them," Tidus said. "Hey, Yuna, snap out of it."

"I can't, I…sorry, my body has a mind of its own," Yuna said apologetically, though the smile on her face suggested that, on one level at least, she was enjoying it.

Rikku laughed, before she said, "Come on, let's use a sphere to get back to the _Celsius_. Maybe Shinra can help…"

* * *

Later, they were on the bridge of the _Celsius_ , Yuna having finally managed to regain control of herself. She was back in her default Dressphere state of Gunner, her pistols holstered. They had just explained what had happened to Shinra, a young Al Bhed prodigy who had developed the Garment Grid system as he sat at his workstation. "Well," his voice rasped from behind the mask he wore, "it's possible for the emotions and memories recorded on the Dressphere to influence the user. Recording spheres do record emotions and intent to some small degree, due to Pyreflies being influenced by such things."

"But is it dangerous?" Tidus asked. "I mean, you did say that Dressphere is based on a sphere Lenne recorded, right?"

"I'm just a kid," Shinra said, which Harry knew was Shinra-speak for, _I don't know, despite the fact that I say I know everything_.

Brother, who was standing near one of the cockpit seats, said, in stilted English, "Yuna dancing? I want to see!"

Yuna giggled, and said, "It'll cost you." Brother promptly began digging around in his coveralls for Gil coins as Tidus scowled. The Mohawk-wearing Al Bhed hadn't changed much, still wearing those damned coveralls, and still having something of a temper, or at least no indoor voice. He was a decent enough leader for the Gullwings, but he certainly wasn't the brains. His intelligence was mostly towards maintaining machina.

" _She was_ _ **kidding**_ ," Harry groaned in Al Bhed at Brother.

" _What, she won't dance for me?!_ " Brother yelped in the same language.

" _Hey, she's taken, remember?_ " Rikku responded. " _Plus, we're cousins. That isn't as bad as siblings, but come on, Brother!_ "

Save for Barkeep, everyone on the _Celsius_ could speak Al Bhed. Then again, there were times when the Hypello quartermaster could speak better English than Brother, and considering that the Hypello spoke a strangely mangled pidgin English that sometimes made House Elves eloquent by comparison.

"So, where to next, now that we dealt with Leblanc?" Tidus asked.

"We'll go where the next sphere signals are found," Buddy said from his place in the cockpit. "There's some interesting signals in the Mount Gagazet area, but we can't confirm what they are yet. Go get some rest if you want."

* * *

The five sphere hunters congregated in the rec room, drinking drinks provided by Barkeep. "I think next time, we'll have to keep an eye on our gear," Harry said, "especially while we're in Guadosalam. I'll see if some sort of ward will work on Garment Grids without interfering with the system. Hermione or Luna's probably got something. And given that we found that sphere of Shuyin, I think one of our next stops should be Bevelle, see if Yunalesca's made any progress in finding Vegnagun. The last time we were there, admittedly a little over six months ago, she said she was still looking for it."

"What will she do once she finds it?" Yuna asked.

"Seal the damn thing. Trying to destroy it outright might risk it trying to defend itself," Paine said. "I'd prefer to dismantle it, but according to Yunalesca, Vegnagun actually killed the technicians who tried. Our main task is to find out where Shuyin is. We've been keeping an eye on Nooj, and there's no indications that he's still possessed, assuming that was the case when he shot Baralai and Gippal. Which means Shuyin isn't actively possessing Nooj…or else he's got someone else under his thrall. I won't discount either possibility."

"Why hasn't he tried to go after Vegnagun yet?" Tidus asked.

"Maybe he's forgotten where exactly it was," Rikku mused. "Or it was shifted by Bevelle after he originally tried to take it over."

"Who knows?" Harry asked. "We'll just have to be ready…"

 **CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, there you are, the first chapter of** ** _Revenge of Shuyin_** **. Not quite as actiony as the beginning of** ** _Cycle of Sin_** **. We'll skip to the end of the second mission (the one where YRP confront Leblanc and company on the ruins on Mount Gagazet), and get to other matters.**

 **Now, for those confused, Harry is a Gun Mage or Blue Mage, while Tidus, as in** ** _Final Fantasy X_** **, is a Warrior. Yes, it's too early in the story for a Gun Mage to be obtained. Deal with it.**

 **1\. I modified this line from the darkly humorous** ** _Shinji Doesn't Care_** **, a** ** _Fate/Stay Night_** **one-shot by Lord Mendasuit. I love that line.**

 **2\. I had to think about what Tidus would have worn if he had a Warrior Dressphere. I decided to go with a look not unlike Minato Namikaze from** ** _Naruto_** **. Keep in mind, he changed his clothes like Yuna did when joining the Gullwings, to remain, if not incognito, then not immediately recognisable. Harry I thought of as looking a bit cowboyish as a Gun Mage, albeit without a jacket.**


	3. Chapter 2: Yunalesca's Discovery

**CHAPTER 2:**

 **YUNALESCA'S DISCOVERY**

"After all that, we got a sphere about someone excited to go to a concert in Zanarkand," Harry muttered with a scowl. "Was it me, or did that sound like Maechen?"

"That old Unsent?" Tidus asked. "Yeah, it did. At least we got a new Dressphere out of it."

Harry's scowl didn't lessen. They had gone to the ruins on top of Mount Gagazet once they had confirmed sphere waves from there, only to find Leblanc and her goons waiting. Leblanc and her minions decided not to battle them this time, and fled for the sphere. Thankfully or not, they got into trouble along the way, and the Gullwings managed to get there first, only to have to face a massive crab-like Fiend. And after getting the sphere, Leblanc caught up, only to snootily declare the sphere to be a dud. Which wasn't far from the truth. Oh, and Brother had come on a quixotic rescue mission, and Rikku coined a new word: disasterrific.

As Tidus said, the only bright side was that they managed to get a new Dressphere out of it. He was still annoyed, though. He'd have preferred it if there was something more on Vegnagun, Shuyin, and/or Lenne, or something more interesting than a few seconds of home movie from someone who went to a concert a millennium ago.

Rikku came up to him, and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Harry," she said. "It's okay. We can't always find good spheres."

"I know, Rikku. I just hoped we could find something that would be of more help." He sighed. "Maybe we should do a spell helping out at the digs on Bikanel Island the Machine Faction are organising again. We got a few interesting spheres last time, plus a bunch of things Gippal and Hermione wanted."

"Probably not a bad idea," Buddy remarked. "If nothing comes up in the next little while, we'll drop by Djose before heading to Bikanel. We'll need to get Tidus and Yuna registered first."

"What do you mean?" Yuna asked.

Rikku, Harry, and Paine looked at each other, before Rikku said, "Well, remember how Gippal founded the Machine Faction?"

Yuna nodded. "It's an organisation founded to not only salvage machina, but also to do…research and development. Gippal and Hermione told me."

"That's right," Harry said. "But they fund a lot of digs in the desert on Bikanel Island. The Al Bhed have salvaged most of Home, and they've started rebuilding as you know, but the desert is filled with old machina. They also do dives, like the one you helped with when we first came to Spira, Tidus. The Machine Faction is the group trying to improve technology, even create new machines. Hermione helped when she brought a whole bunch of books back from Earth, and Rikku, of course, brought some examples of technology back when we had our honeymoon. The Machine Faction is pretty much the group we have the closest ties with. We're on decent enough terms with Yunalesca and Baralai, but we're not exactly friends with Aegis. Ditto the Youth League: we like the ex-Crusaders who are part of it, along with my friends from Earth, but I'm a little leery of it, especially given Nooj is the leader, and we still don't know if he's still possessed by Shuyin. The Machine Faction, however, is pretty much neutral."

Rikku nodded. "It may be an Al Bhed organisation, but anyone willing to join can."

"I probably won't join overtly," Yuna said. "But I will go on these digs. We didn't see much of Bikanel outside of Home. At least the Machine Faction has not pestered me like Aegis or the Youth League have."

"Miss Yuna, our latest…celebrity," Harry drawled, doing a fair impersonation of Snape's nasal, resonant voice.

Tidus scowled. "Was that Snape you were impersonating?"

"Yeah. His first words to me, other than a spiel about Potions, which was pretty good admittedly, were ' _Mister Potter…our latest…celebrity_ '. He then asked me what wormwood and asphodel make when combined. Prick was testing me with a potion from a later year, though he told me after he came to Guadosalam that he was trying to tell me that he bitterly regretted my mother's death in the language of flowers."

Rikku nodded. She had been there at the time. "You had socked him on the nose because Lupin told us earlier that he had told Voldemort about that prophecy."

"Hey, not to interrupt, guys, but there's an incoming transmission from Bevelle. Direct from Yunalesca and Baralai," Buddy called out. "No video or audio, just a text message with the right codes. _Please come ASAP and discreetly regarding V. Y &B_."

"Can we do discreetly?" Harry asked. "We've got Yuna and Tidus on board. Are we able to teleport to the sphere in the antechamber to Aegis' office?"

Buddy nodded. "We'll get close first. While you're in Bevelle, Brother and I will monitor for sphere waves."

" _Who is the leader?!_ " Brother snapped at Buddy in Al Bhed. " _I am! I decide what we do!_ "

" _You'll be doing what he suggested anyway, Brother_ ," Rikku said with a roll of her eyes. " _Or else checking up on the engines._ "

Brother scowled, but he conceded the point. Where technology wasn't concerned, he was somewhat at sea. While he claimed to be the leader of the Gullwings, in truth, Harry, Rikku, and Paine were closer in fact. Brother didn't like that, though, and he only tolerated it because Rikku was his sister, and Harry her husband.

* * *

They materialised in the elaborate antechamber of the office of Yunalesca. To their surprise, the Gullwings found Baralai waiting for them, though he was a little surprised to find them here so soon. The dark-skinned, white-haired young man recovered himself, and said, in his quiet voice, "Thank you for coming. I'm a little surprised that you're here so soon…and that the rumours of Lady Yuna and Sir Tidus leaving Besaid are true after all."

"Please, Baralai," Yuna said. "You don't need to stand on convention. Calling me Lady Yuna and Tidus a Sir is embarrassing."

Baralai chuckled. "I got the same thing from Rikku, Harry, and Paine when they first visited. However, we have, as you know, a matter of considerable importance to discuss." He opened the door into the office. "This way, please."

The office was once that of Grand Maester Yo Mika, with a window looking out across the towers of Bevelle. Bookcases lined the walls. Where the Yevon symbol once predominated in the décor, the distinctive emblem of Zanarkand replaced it.

Standing at the window was the figure of Yunalesca. Over a thousand years old, but looking like a beautiful woman in her thirties at the oldest, she had a lengthy mass of lavender-coloured hair reaching down to her calves. As usual, she was dressed in little more than jewellery and a thong bikini, though Harry, Rikku, and Paine knew that she now wore robes whenever she was meant to be seen in public, if only to spare the sensibilities of the more prudish members of Aegis.

"It has been two years since I have seen either of you," Yunalesca said in a voice that was part dignified elocution and part sultry purr. "Yuna, and Tidus. Forgive my more zealous underlings trying to recruit you into Aegis. I know you prefer to be left alone, and have issued decrees to that effect, but alas, some of them seem intent on matching the zeal of the Youth League's attempts at evangelism." Yunalesca then turned to face her visitors, her golden eyes peering at them. "How is life treating you two?"

"Well enough," Yuna said, "though the fame is something of a burden."

Tidus nodded. "Yeah, it gets annoying."

Yunalesca smiled. "Still, you two caused something of a stir when you left Besaid Island," she said, moving closer. "Just out of curiosity, why?"

"We found a sphere with Shuyin on it," Rikku said. "Harry? Show her."

Harry fished the sphere out, and handed it to Yunalesca. She activated the sphere, which she and Baralai watched. It showed the shadowy figure of a young man who resembled Tidus in a cage. His voice, while a little hard to make out through the corrupted sound, was still recognisable as Tidus'.

"… _not sorry! I haven't done a damned thing wrong!_ " Shuyin was yelling at his captors. " _I know you're listening, even if you aren't talking. If she was your girl, what the hell would you do?! Huh?! How can you blame me for trying to use your weapon? It was the only way I could save the Summoner! What would you do if you were in my shoes?_ " As the recorder began walking away, Shuyin rattled at the bars of the cage, screaming, " ** _LET ME OUT, YOU BASTARDS!_** " Then, he broke down into sobs. " _Please…I want to see her…one last time…please…_ "

After the recording ended, Yunalesca nodded solemnly. "That is indeed Shuyin. There is no mistaking it. I recognise his outfit. The recording was probably done as the prelude to a possible prisoner exchange between Bevelle and Zanarkand, one that didn't happen."

"Yunalesca," Paine said. "The message you sent us suggested you had information about Vegnagun."

"Indeed I do. I found Vegnagun a little over a month after your last visit to Bevelle." Holding up a hand to forestall protest, she added, "I did not notify the Gullwings because I needed to confirm whether Vegnagun was still active, whether it could be sealed without trouble, and so on. At the moment, it is lying dormant, but it is still potentially active. What's more, there's potential weak spots in the hangar area that Vegnagun could use to flee to the Farplane, which is a possibility. We're therefore working on a means to contain Vegnagun, prevent someone from accessing it. Destroying it outright may not be possible without an Aeon, and as we sacrificed them to stop Sin…"

"So you're just going to bury it, and hope Shuyin doesn't find it?" Paine asked with a roll of the eyes.

"No," Baralai said. "We're installing security systems to alert us to anyone trying to infiltrate the Vegnagun hangar, as well as sealing off as many ingress points as possible. We have also managed to find a way of communicating with the Fayth on the Farplane, as the hangar is close to it. The entrance in Guadosalam is becoming unstable, as you may know, but Lady Yunalesca, given her knowledge of summoning, is able to summon their spirits temporarily. Not enough to become Aeons again, but to ask them to keep an eye on things. Lord Braska, Sir Jecht, and Sir Auron have also agreed to be our sentinels in the Farplane, lest Shuyin try other methods."

"Unsents who can possess mortals are rare, but they can be powerful," Yunalesca added. "Unsents who linger for as long as Shuyin or myself grow in power, simply through accumulating Pyreflies. The same can be said about Fiends too, and as Sin was a form of massive Fiend…well, while Shuyin is not as powerful as Sin, he is far more insidious. Where did you find the sphere with Shuyin, anyway?"

"Mount Gagazet, in the recently-discovered ruins. We found another sphere in another part of the same ruins," Harry said.

Yunalesca pursed her lips. "I believe that complex used to be an observatory Zanarkand built to keep an eye on Bevelle. It may be that this is a copy of the original recording, sent to said observatory by Bevelle. In any case, I believe things may be coming to a head soon. The friction between the Youth League and Aegis is quickening. Although I am trying to keep relations with the Youth League peaceful, both sides have their troublemakers, and even I cannot have a leash on the worst offenders in Aegis. And it suits the Youth League to have their own rabble cause trouble. Personally, I am glad that you are staying out of the politics of this, Yuna. While Aegis would receive a boost with your willing membership, it may come at a cost of the enmity of the Youth League. And given the Gullwing's strong ties to the Machine Faction…while many in Aegis sneer at the Machine Faction and the Al Bhed running it, I believe it to be as vital a group as Aegis, or even the Youth League."

"Glad you think so," Paine said with her usual sardonic tone. "Did you ask us here to talk about Vegnagun?"

"Mostly. I must ask you another thing. Beware an Unsent claiming to be a priest of Yevon, or an agent of Aegis, known as Trema. He attempted a takeover of Aegis, which I rebuffed, but be warned. He too seeks spheres…but to erase Spira's past. He is surprisingly powerful. He may be the most powerful Unsent still in existence on Spira, aside from myself and Shuyin." On a gesture from Yunalesca, Baralai handed over a photograph of an elderly man in Yevon robes. "Cid and Sirius, with my blessing, are turning Zanarkand into a tourist attraction, as you may know. And there was another reason. I haven't spoken to any of you for some time, and I must confess, I sometimes want for civil company, instead of sycophantic followers and belligerent rabble-raisers. Harry and Rikku, you made me realise where my path had led Spira, and showed me another way. Yuna, you bear my name in part. And you, along with Tidus and Paine, have me to blame for the ends of your loved ones, and yet, you bear me no malice. It is pleasant to speak to people on relatively normal terms. Few in Aegis do so. In many ways, we are the same. Seen for what people believe us to be, and not for the people we are or were." She turned away from them, the dismissal clear from the gesture. "If I need your help dealing with Vegnagun, I will ask for it as soon as I can. However, I won't detain you from your own quest. Should you encounter Shuyin, though…remind him I still live. After a fashion."

"I will," Yuna affirmed softly.

* * *

After saying their goodbyes to Yunalesca and Baralai, they got back to the _Celsius_. "We haven't found anything new yet," Buddy said after they relayed what they had learned from Yunalesca and Baralai. "You want to head to Djose?"

"Yeah," Rikku said. "At the very least, we can say hi to Gippal and Hermione."

"Let's go!" Brother yelled. And so, off they went…

 **CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, here you have it. Harry and the others have been brought up to date by Yunalesca about Vegnagun.**

 **I skipped over that first mission because, well, it's a lot of incident but not much story. Well, let's face it, so too are the other missions. Whereas I wanted to do more character stuff. Next chapter, we'll have Gippal and Hermione. THEN we'll start getting to the meat of the story proper.**

 **No numbered annotations.**


	4. Chapter 3: The Machine Faction

**CHAPTER 3:**

 **THE MACHINE FACTION**

Djose Temple was once one of the most spectacular temples of Spira, with massive rocks orbiting the temple, anchored by bolts of lightning whenever the Fayth, that of Ixion, was prayed to. Even now, it was still an inspiring sight, though the orbiting rocks had been replaced with various machines and generators. Djose Temple had become the de facto headquarters of the Machine Faction, a predominantly Al Bhed group, but they accepted any comers who went through a vetting process.

The Gullwings found the leaders of the Machine Faction examining a rather large robot on the edge of the temple grounds. One was a tall, handsome young Al Bhed man with spiky blonde hair and a rakish, devil-may-care attitude that was helped by an eyepatch and an outfit that made him look vaguely piratical. The other was a young woman with bushy hair framing bookish but beautiful features, dressed in green coveralls and a yellow shirt with goggles propped up on her forehead(1).

"…So, I guess the Repair charm ain't cutting it with this one," the young man muttered. "Oh well. It's handy, but that's part of the joy of working with machina and machines, working out how they work without shortcuts."

"Well, we know it's a combat robot, of a type similar to the Defender archetype," the young woman said. "If need be, we'll just take it apart for spare parts and analyse the CPU. I've finally got that program working on the laptop I brought over."

"Great!" the young man looked up as they approached, and the pair of them smiled as the Gullwings approached. "Hey!"

"Hey, Gippal! Hey, Hermione!" Rikku greeted them.

"Hi, Rikku," Hermione said, hugging the blonde Al Bhed girl, and then Harry and Paine in their turns. "Harry, Paine, it's been too long!" She noticed the other two, and her smile widened. "Yuna, Tidus! So these three managed to drag you away from Besaid?"

"Yeah, it's a long story," Tidus said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well, let's hear it," Gippal said, gesturing for them to enter one of the temple buildings he had commandeered as his office.

* * *

Gippal frowned as the sphere finished playing. "So…that's the guy who possessed Nooj? I remember you mentioning that before. Damn, but he looks and acts a lot like you, Tidus. I know he ain't, but still…"

"So, Shuyin is some sort of Unsent who can go around possessing people," Hermione mused, pacing slowly around the office. "Is there any defence?"

"If there is, we haven't heard it," Paine said. "Sirius mentioned something called Occlumency as a possible defence. Just be careful around Nooj, Gippal."

"Hey, haven't got to tell me twice, Doctor Paine. He shot me in the back, remember?" Gippal said with a wince. "Anyway, enough about that. I'm guessing you didn't come just to say hi."

"We came to register Yuna and Tidus for the Bikanel digs," Rikku said. "Just in case the sphere hunting business gets slow. But I'd prefer it done relatively discreetly."

Gippal snorted. "Rikku, news spread pretty fast when these two lovebirds vanished from Besaid," the young Al Bhed said. "I won't brag about having them working for us, I know you guys don't need that, but people are still going to notice, and talk. So discretion's gonna be a relative term. Hey, Paine, why don't you help these two with the paperwork? Hermione's been busting to talk to Rikku and Harry for a while."

"Fine," Paine said with a resigned sigh, before she looked at Harry and Rikku. "I'll keep an eye on them."

* * *

Moving back into the open, Hermione, Rikku and Harry went around the side of the building, Gippal in tow. "Sorry about that, I've just wanted to talk to you guys for a while, but I didn't want to intrude. I mean, I can't just send a message to the Gullwings for a social call, can I?" Hermione said.

"Sure you can," Rikku said. "You're Harry's friend, and you're now my friend. Sure, Brother'd be miffed, and Paine, well, she's a bit stiff at times, but we'd love to see you."

Harry nodded. "You were one of my first friends, Hermione. You know, you could send messages. Just don't use the priority channel, unless you need us urgently."

"I know, it's just…I like to see you two face to face. Ever since you fell through the Veil with Sirius, Harry, it felt like something was torn from me. And when I learned you were alive, and on a whole different world…I was so worried. I need to see you to remind myself that you're still alive, that this is real, not some weird dream. It's why I'm so grateful to you for keeping an eye on him, Rikku. He needs a smart girl to keep him from rushing headlong into danger. I know sphere-hunters do a lot of dangerous stuff…but I trust your judgement."

Rikku smiled at Hermione, and hugged the other girl. Ever since they met, they hit it off, with Rikku glad to meet someone, not an Al Bhed, who actually understood many of the terms (even the ones Harry didn't know) that would go over other people's heads. Rikku had declared Hermione the sister she never had, and while Hermione was a bit bemused at Rikku's energy, she never disputed the claim. Indeed, she embraced it. "Don't worry, we look after each other. By the way, how's life with Gippal lately?" Rikku asked.

Hermione laughed softly. "Never a dull moment, at least not for long. Okay, not quite as exciting as sphere-hunting, I'm sure, but it's still great. You know it took a while for my parents to get used to him. I mean, with the eyepatch and that get-up, he looks like a pirate. They thought I was dating him to rebel against them."

"Yeah, we know, we set them straight, didn't we?" Rikku said with a giggle at the memory. "Dad's more used to the idea of Harry and me being wed, though." Her face fell at the reminder of Cid, a slight scowl coming over her features.

"What's wrong?" Gippal asked. "Did you have an argument with Cid? I mean, I heard rumours, but…"

"Bit of a bad one, and a stupid one, over Brother and me forming the Gullwings," Rikku said. "Not to mention him turning Zanarkand into a tourist trap. Okay, Yunalesca's apparently okay with that, but still…"

"He's got Padfoot to keep him on the straight and narrow," Harry said.

"Really?" Hermione asked in a flat, sceptical tone. "Sirius Black…keeping someone on the straight and narrow."

"Relatively speaking," Harry amended. "It was Sirius who basically wanted it turned into a memorial of sorts for the High Summoners, and for Zanarkand as it was before the war. Some of the spheres we found are used there, as they show footage from Zanarkand at its height."

Rikku nodded. "I trust Sirius to keep Dad on a leash, not make it tacky. I don't like it, it's like turning the ruins of Home into a resort, but…anyway, apparently Isaaru's there as a tour guide."

Hermione knew the name. "That's that former Summoner, right? The one that helped you guys?"

"Along with Dona, yes," Harry said. Dona had mellowed since he first met her: she had apparently been rather rude and abrasive to Yuna. Well, she was like that to everyone, but she thought that Yuna coasted along on her reputation, and chose quantity over quality with her Guardians. If anything, Yuna had been burdened by her reputation, which, like Harry's, was due to something her parents did. With Yuna, it was her father vanquishing Sin. With Harry, it was his mother being able to stop Voldemort and protect Harry in the process.

Dona and her former Guardian and current lover Barthello were living at Kilika. The last time Harry had heard from Remus and Tonks, who had also settled there, there was trouble brewing between Dona and Barthello. Dona had joined the Youth League, Barthello had joined Aegis.

That being said, Dona got along well enough with Remus Lupin and Tonks, even helping to brew an improved Wolfsbane Potion for them. Now Remus didn't have to transform under the full Moon, though he did become more aggressive: the atavistic nature of the werewolf ailment didn't go away. Though that just meant that Tonks tended to stock up on Stamina and Contraceptive Potions for the pair of them for those days. They were going to try for a child before long.

"So, you're off on a new quest?" Hermione asked, deciding to change the subject.

"Mostly trying to find out where the hell Shuyin is," Harry said. "This sphere Kimahri found is the best lead we've had for a while. It may be that he isn't possessing Nooj anymore."

"There's another factor," Rikku said. "Yunalesca's found Vegnagun, and she's trying her best to make sure it can't be accessed."

"Good," Gippal said. They had discussed the machina weapon with Gippal and Hermione before. "I hope she buries the damn thing under as much crap as she can. As much as I don't like the thought of Aegis having access to Vegnagun, if Yunalesca and Baralai are trying to prevent it from being used…well, I trust Baralai. Can't say I trust Yunalesca, even if she helped you guys stop Sin. Well, not completely. Most of Aegis is pretty sane, but she's still got some idiots in Aegis who try to wreck our stuff. Let's face it, Aegis is basically a revamped Yevon. But at least Yunalesca would know better than to use it, and would do as much as she could to make sure nobody uses it."

"I remember what you said about Seymour," Hermione said with a shudder. "Imagine what would have happened if he caught wind of Vegnagun. He sounded nihilistic enough to use it."

"Thanks, Hermione, I'd gotten tired of sleeping at night," Harry snarked. He did not need to think about Seymour getting a hold of Vegnagun.

"Well, it's pretty quiet, mostly, with our own activities," Gippal said. "We try to steer clear of the politicking between the Youth League and Aegis. That being said, we've got a pretty big Fiend attacking some of our more remote digs on Bikanel lately. We think it's the ancient Fiend known as Angra Mainyu. Most of the time, it just seems content to send anyone who bothers it packing, but a couple of times, well, there've been deaths. I know you guys beat Sin and all, but don't take any unnecessary risks if you do join the digs at Bikanel."

"We'll keep that in mind," Paine said as she, Yuna and Tidus walked up. "Here you are, Gippal. All the paperwork signed. I hated doing that as part of the Crimson Squad." She looked at Harry and Rikku. "As I was the junior member and doing combat recording more than actually fighting, these lazy bums made me do the paperwork they forgot."

Gippal snickered. "Hey, remember when you got those forms requisitioning a haemorrhoid balm for Kinoc? Like, a whole box of the stuff? All the way from Guadosalam? I think it was just after Seymour got ordained as a Maester, and he put in this tongue-in-cheek message to Kinoc. Best prank ever."

"You played a prank on Maester Kinoc?" Rikku asked Paine.

The silver-haired girl rolled her eyes. "I was bored, found the forms, and I was sick and tired of listening to the unctuous fuck lord it over us. And I overheard him consulting with his doctor about his…affliction."

"We are so telling Sirius about that one," Harry said. "Who knew you were a closet prankster?"

"Tell anyone, and you die," Paine said, utterly deadpan. Only the faintest of twinkles in her crimson eyes told of her mirth…

* * *

Upon making their way back onto the _Celsius_ , they were ordered to the bridge by an excited Brother. " _What's going on?_ " Rikku asked in Al Bhed.

" _Sphere waves, in two separate locations!_ " Brother yelped excitedly. " _There's one on Besaid, and another at Zanarkand._ "

Paine frowned. "Well, the one at Besaid means Tidus and Yuna have to face the music, given how they left all of a sudden. And the one at Zanarkand means seeing Cid. Not exactly arduous, but not things you want to do."

"Besaid's fine," Yuna said. "I'll go and apologise to Wakka and Lulu. Then we'll head to Zanarkand."

"You hear that, Brother?" Harry asked.

"Got it," the mohawk-wearing Al Bhed said. " _Next stop: Besaid Island!_ "

And soon enough, they were on their way. It was time for Yuna and Tidus to pay the piper, though the Gullwings doubted that things would be that bad, at least as far as Wakka and Lulu, along with the other inhabitants of Besaid were concerned. Getting the sphere was another matter entirely, though…

 **CHAPTER 3 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, a reunion with Hermione, a discussion of the state of affairs with Gippal, and finally, onto Besaid.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Zane Tribal Tyne Alexandros** **: Agree with you about what Shuyin would call Tidus, albeit without Gilgamesh's arrogance, and I reckon Dumbledore would dress in a Lord Fortune dressphere because it'd be gaudy and colourful, just like he loves to wear. This is a man, after all, whose sense of fashion is almost comparable to the Sixth Doctor's…**

 **1\. If you're wondering what Hermione looks like, I thought of her as wearing Agatha Heterodyne's standard outfit in** ** _Girl Genius_** **.**


End file.
